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by sorasdreams



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power (2018)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Kinda, Redemption, a small bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-21
Updated: 2018-12-23
Packaged: 2019-09-24 03:52:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17093516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sorasdreams/pseuds/sorasdreams
Summary: Adora buried her head in the crook of Catra’s neck, softly breathing in. Oh, how she had missed this. The familiar scent of her friend brought tears to her eyes.She realized it felt like home.





	1. Chapter 1

Adora had missed Catra so much, it was unbearable.

How she was able to be without her best friend by her side for so long, she would never understand.

But there they were, together again, holding each other in their arms as if they were afraid of putting any distance between them. As if they feared it had all been a dream, a cruel dream, that would banish the moment they let go.

It was the first time the two girls were alone since Catra finally surrendered, after what felt like an endless war. As soon as it was over, other conflicts appeared. Not everyone in Bright Moon was willing to welcome Catra so easily after her crimes. They still saw her as the enemy, a soldier who had done nothing but harm their home. Adora fought for her, begged for a second chance for her friend.

She convinced most of them to give the girl an opportunity to prove herself. Even though it didn’t mean they trusted her.

Adora believed in Catra almost blindly.

They had grown up together after all. Adora more than anyone knew how her friend really was on the inside. Behind all the manipulation they had endured and all the pain they learned to hide so well. Behind that tough façade she had carefully built over the years. Deep down, her friend was a good person, who only wished to be accepted by everyone else.

Adora never stopped having hope. Every day she thought of reuniting with her friend, of seeing the real Catra again, the one she grew up with.

She had been right to hope.

The princess could only think about how thankful she was for having her friend back, for knowing Catra was finally safe by her side. No more mind tricks. No more fighting. Adora was constantly reminded of how much she had missed her, how much she had worried over her.

So, when the two of them were finally left alone in Adora’s room for a much-deserved rest, they were at a loss for words.

But they didn’t need words. They instantly stepped closer and hugged each other.

They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other, enjoying each other’s presence and closeness, without the worries and doubts that plagued both of their minds in the past. It wasn’t so easy to forget about everything, but for the time being they pretended it was fine. It would be fine with time.

Adora’s arms were around Catra’s neck, and one of her hands went to the cat’s hair and started running her fingers through it slowly, lazily, and Adora relished the feeling of the other girl’s unruly locks under her palm. The princess buried her head in the crook of Catra’s neck, softly breathing in. Oh, how she had missed this. The familiar scent of her friend brought tears to her eyes.

She realized it felt like home.

Adora tried to find a new home in the Rebellion, and believed she found it, but deep down she knew she left a piece of her heart with Catra. She wouldn’t feel completely at home until she had her friend back. Oblivious to this, Catra thought she was completely left behind. The truth was the blonde girl could never forget about her friend.

She had tried. Sometimes during the war, she felt like she had no choice but to let go, to move forward.

Now she was thankful she had not succeeded. That hope she had was too strong, Catra meant too much for her. How could she let her go, even after all their fights?

Back in the Horde, Adora never wondered about her feelings for Catra. She was just her best friend. She was very fond of her, that was for sure, but attempting to go any further was very discouraged in the Fright Zone. It was weird enough that they were that close. Love was never discussed, few even know what the concept really meant, and Adora would only learn about it later in the Rebellion.

She didn’t understand what she was feeling at that very moment, in her friend’s arms, but she was sure of one thing. She was never letting go of Catra again. She couldn’t stand missing her for another second.

Catra had her arms around Adora’s waist, and she hugged her tighter, bringing the other girl a little bit closer. She nuzzled her neck, that tough façade of her falling completely, letting herself truly relax for the first time in her life. She could enjoy Adora’s company at last.

After what felt like an eternity, the girls reluctantly put some space between them. It really wasn’t a dream. Adora looked ready to cry at any given moment. Catra carefully raised her right hand to Adora’s cheek and looked her in the eyes.

“Hey, I’m here. No need to cry, okay?” said Catra, a small smile tugging at her lips.

“I’m not crying. I’ve just been worried sick about you all this time.” Adora looked away briefly, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.

“Since when are you such a crybaby?” Catra’s smile turned into a smirk. Adora’s heart was ready to explode.

“I didn’t want to lose hope, you know? That you would join me some day. Sometimes it felt like it would never happen.” Adora didn’t answer Catra’s teasing. She leaned into her friend’s palm, still on her cheek.

“There’s still things I’m mad about. It still hurts. I can’t forget about everything so easily. And I guess you can’t, too. But I couldn’t hold back any longer. It’s not simple saying this to you after all that happened, but there wasn’t a day when I didn’t think about you, Adora, for better or for worse.” Catra’s hand left Adora, and she turned slightly to the side, scanning the room as she spoke. “I told myself I hated you so many times I almost believed it. I could never hate you, though, not really.”

“Catra…” Adora started.

“It took me a while to truly find out what all those years of Shadow Weaver’s punishments had done to me. I wanted to think I was stronger. I did believe it. The truth is I was actually insecure. Still am somehow.” Catra frowned. “When you left, I thought you abandoned me. And honestly? I still think you did. I have trouble believing otherwise. Now I see you had little choice, at least.”

“I told you to come with me a thousand times.” At that point, Catra had her back completely to Adora. The princess took a step forward and hugged her friend again. “I knew it wasn’t so easy. I knew you couldn’t just walk away like I did. And I knew there would be consequences for you when I didn’t come back to the Horde. But I couldn’t return. And I still wanted to let you know that I wanted you by my side, that I hadn’t given up on you.”

“Well, that didn’t exactly work out as you expected.” Catra chuckled sadly, and leaned back into the other girl, allowing herself to feel protected for once. “Shadow Weaver really did a number on me, huh?”

“Catra, why did you give back my sword that one time?”

“Ugh. You’re gonna make me say it, aren’t you?”

Adora released her and turned her around so they were facing each other again. She looked at Catra, pleading.

Catra let out a small sigh. “I couldn’t let Shadow Weaver hurt you. It made me sick just thinking about it. It was a difficult decision, though. I spent so long hoping you would return, and there you were, back in the Fright Zone. But I knew you didn’t want to stay. I wanted you to be safe above all, I couldn’t hand you over to our superiors and be okay with whatever they did to you. So, I gave you a way out. I tried to lie to myself. About why I did it. I buried the truth deep inside me until it was almost gone.” Catra looked down at the floor, unable to look at Adora any longer.

“Did you mean what you said about always being second best?”

“I did. I’m still trying to sort that out. We were brought up in one hell of a place. Standing out was our only objective in life, gaining our superiors respect so we could move forward. I was obsessed with that. Now I suddenly have no purpose. Please give me time.” Catra rested her forehead on Adora’s.

“I’m sorry for ever making you feel like you weren’t good enough, or that I could replace you.” Adora said while moving her fingers to her friend’s hair once more. “It doesn’t matter if I make new friends. It doesn’t matter if we aren’t side by side. You will always be the most important person to me.”

Catra didn’t know what to say, so she said nothing. She knew she shared those feelings, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit it just yet. She needed time to get used to her new situation, her new surroundings. To come to terms with her real feelings. To heal her mind.

All that hate, all that anger, had really taken a toll on her. It came down to her, all she had said and done in the past. And she felt so tired all of a sudden.

Catra looked at Adora. “I could really use a nap right now.”

She hated feeling so vulnerable, and even more so showing it to others. It was what the Horde taught her. But this was Adora. Catra was too tired to care about showing weakness anyway.

Adora nodded and the two girls headed towards the bed in the center of the room. Catra hesitated for a second when Adora lied down, unsure of whether she should sleep by her feet, as she always did back in the Horde, or lie next to her. A part of her urged her to go for the second option. The same part of her she didn’t understand just yet. The same feelings she had before Adora left came back to her. All the fondness she felt for the princess.

“Screw it.” Catra thought to herself as she climbed into the bed next to her best friend, her tail brushing against Adora’s legs.

It was almost overwhelming, all they were feeling at that moment. The uncertainty of the future, the safety and comfort of their childhood friend by their side. That feeling in Adora’s gut every time she looked at the other girl.

Catra found herself leaning in, pressing a small kiss to Adora’s lips. It only lasted a second, but it left the cat girl smiling, even if she wasn’t entirely sure what a kiss meant, or what she was doing. Adora looked startled. Then, her expression melted into a shy grin. Catra’s heart was about to come out of her ribcage. Adora’s was too.

But neither of them payed those feelings any thoughts as they drifted to sleep. They would have all the time in the world to figure out what they meant. What to do about them.

Together.

 


	2. Chapter 2

Catra was assigned a room in Bright Moon. Glimmer had told her where to find it. But she didn’t bother paying attention. She knew she wouldn’t be using it.

The girl was certain she wouldn’t be able to get any sleep without Adora by her side. Every night, nightmares plagued her dreams, reminding her of everything she had gone through, everything she had done. She saw Shadow Weaver mocking her, punishing her. But more importantly, she lost Adora every time, over and over, one way or another.

So, when Catra awoke in the middle of the night, every night, shocked and afraid, her best friend hugged her tightly, reminding her she was right there, and had no plan to leave her again. She reassured her, telling her it was all in the past, she was safe now. It was Adora’s comforting words and touches that allowed Catra to fall asleep again and get some rest.

She felt weak, relying on Adora so much. But she had enough on herself. She had to deal with those nightmares during the night, with the glances of distrust she got from everyone in Bright Moon during the day. Catra wasn’t going to deal with the solitude of her room on top of it all. She would take what little comfort she had in this foreign place. And that meant Adora.

Catra felt out of place, like she would never fit in. She had to constantly prove herself to others, prove that she didn’t mean any harm, gain their trust little by little. She couldn’t blame them for being reluctant to believe her, though.

She deserved it.

It still hurt. Not that Catra would ever admit it.

It made her shelter herself in Adora. Being with her brought Catra a sense of safety she hadn’t felt in a while.

Catra felt many different things, in fact. Many if which she didn’t understand. She didn’t try to. She just made the most of what time she could spend with her friend.

Adora tried too hard for her new friends to like her old friend. It was no use. Bow tolerated Catra out of respect for Adora, but Glimmer never let her guard down when the girl was around. Wherever Catra went, she could feel she was being watched. Either by the princess herself or some guard in the castle she sent to keep an eye on her. It frustrated the cat girl to no end, but she never made any move or comment on it.

Adora would be disappointed if she did. She was putting a lot of effort on making Catra seem worth of everyone’s trust, and she wasn’t about to blow it. She was determined to prove them all wrong. To prove she meant well.

So, she let them watch.

Apart from that, Adora insisted the four of them spent some time together. It wasn’t the most comfortable situation. In fact, it was rather awkward. But Catra wanted to make it up to Adora for hurting her in the past, so she did her best to behave.

Adora’s approval was all she cared about these days.

Not so long ago, Catra would be horrified at the thought. Having grown so attached to the enemy. To anyone, really. She had learned to be cold and never depend on anyone.

Catra was too tired to care about what had been expected of her in the past. This wasn’t the Horde anymore. She had grown tired of being in a constant fight, not only with Adora and her Rebellion, but with herself too. It was an endless battle between what she really wanted and what she had to do. She was tired of lying to herself about what it was that she truly wanted.

And in the dead of the night, with her best friend so close to her, comforting her after every nightmare, she was sure of one thing.

Adora was all she wanted.

Catra would go through all this change, all this unknown that was her future, for her. To stay with her. She would earn everyone’s trust, in time, only so they let her stay with the person she treasured most.

 

\---

 

It wasn’t until one of those times Adora gathered her three friends that Catra started trying to decipher her feelings.

Glimmer and Adora were having a conversation that eventually led them to talk about relationships. About love. Catra faked indifference while attempting not to blush when Glimmer described feelings she related to.

Adora did blush. And that night was the first time Catra didn’t have a nightmare. Instead, she dreamed of Adora and her blushing face and this newfound concept of love.

“You didn’t wake up last night.” Adora pointed the next morning.

“I didn’t. I think… I can get used to this place after all.”

Adora beamed at her. It was clearly very important for her that Catra found a new place to call home, there with her, some day.

Little did she know Catra had already found her new home.

 

\---

 

There was one night when Catra couldn’t bring herself to fall asleep. So, she gave up. She stared at Adora’s peaceful face, and let out a sigh. If Catra had any chance of getting any sleep that night, now it was gone. The feelings that the sleeping girl stirred in her were far too strong.

The day the two girls reunited, Catra thought her feelings couldn’t be stronger than those she had while hugging her friend.

Oh, how wrong she was. Those feelings had only grown more and more since that day, inside of her. She couldn’t hold back any longer.

That same day, when Catra was finally able to hold Adora close again, she did something bold. She had kissed her. And even though it felt good despite the briefness of the moment, it hadn’t happened again since.

Catra wanted to change that.

Curiosity, and her own feelings, got the best of her, and she pressed a shy peck to Adora’s forehead. The girl in question stirred in her sleep, and slowly opened her eyes. So many years of training couldn’t be erased so quickly, and Adora woke up with that simple gesture.

“Catra?” Adora said, sleep in her voice.

“Hey, Adora.” Catra purred softly.

“Is everything okay? You don’t look like you had any bad dreams.”

“I couldn’t sleep. Please keep me company?” Catra lazily ran the back of her hand against Adora’s cheek, then rested it on the girl’s waist.

“Sure, but you owe me a nap tomorrow.” Adora rubbed her eyes.

“Whatever you want, princess.” Catra winked at her.

Despite her playful attitude, Adora still asked, “Is there anything you want to talk about? Is there something on your mind that’ worrying you and keeping you from getting any sleep?”

“I’m not worried. But there is something on my mind that won’t go away.” Catra narrowed her eyes.

“What is it?” Adora was fully awake now.

“You.”

The princess could not help the blush that crept across her face at her friend’s words. Catra took a moment to admire it before she leaned in and kissed Adora on the lips, testing the waters.

Adora was in shock for a few seconds, but then she melted into Catra, holding her closer. It was chaste, and neither of them dared move just yet. They were too inexperienced and this was too new to them. They just savoured it while it lasted.

When they pulled away, they stared into each other’s eyes, a silly grin in both of their faces.

For a few minutes, they stayed like that, close, silent, Catra rubbing circles on Adora’s waist with her thumb. She knew her friend well enough to read her expression. Adora had gone through the same realisations as her, regarding their feelings.

“You are the most important person to me too, you know?” Catra whispered, remembering another conversation they had. It wasn’t easy baring her heart like that, but she needed Adora to know.

“It means so much hearing these words from you.” Adora was smiling fondly at her. Catra moved even closer and nuzzled the other girl’s neck. She couldn’t get enough of her warmth.

“Let’s never leave each other again. Stay with me, Adora. I won’t lose you.”

“That won’t happen. I couldn’t take being away from you any longer. I’m staying.” She started running her fingers through Catra’s back, and placed a kiss to the top of her friend’s head.

The room felt silent once more. They didn’t need any more words just yet. The presence of the other girl, their embrace, was enough. Catra couldn’t get her head off her feelings, now sure of what they meant. There was so much she wanted to say. But it wasn’t the right time. For now, Catra wasn’t certain she could find the right words. She was holding Adora close, like she had assumed she would never be able to do. It really was enough.

Many memories crossed her mind at that moment, memories of the two of them. Catra chose to keep the good ones only. One of them, specifically.

So, she said, “You promise?”

Adora didn’t hesitate. “I promise.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooo, yeah, this is my life now...  
> I will probably spend my Christmas break writing about these two

**Author's Note:**

> Why sleep when you can write a catradora fic at 2AM am I right?  
> These girls are taking over my life, I swear.
> 
> This was supposed to be a oneshot, but I decided to split it in two chapters.  
> I'll be posting part two in a couple of days if nothing comes up.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed it ♥


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